Craven Baps

A northern Baptist church, to which I have always sent invitations and posters to our special events but never heard anything back, has posted a ‘statement of inclusion’ on its website. The statement was ‘agreed’ in the spring:

Statement of Inclusion

We are an inclusive church – a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.

We...are therefore committed to:

• Offering a warm welcome to everyone in the name of Jesus Christ, by celebrating the diversity and individuality of people from all backgrounds and experience.
• Being a church community where all matters relating to faith and Christian living can be discussed in an open and respectful way which values individuals, their opinions and their personal faith journeys.
• Serving our local communities in ways which reflect the love of God and foster social justice.
• Making our voices heard in support of a fairer and more peaceful world.

Agreed on 17th April 2024

I messaged the church’s leaders to politely ask who had been discriminated against prior to the 17 April. No reply was received, even though the text above the contact form said they would be ‘delighted’ if I got in touch. It is my opinion, therefore, that statements like these are essentially meaningless. They either repeat banalities (‘we welcome everyone’; ‘We are made up of people from different backgrounds’), or it is code for departure from Christian orthodoxy regarding sexual ethics and marriage. Of course, this is all very fashionable right now, but I suspect it will not age well, as British Baptist Union churches slowly shrink and close (one per annum in the Yorkshire area 2000-2015; in 2017, the Baptists Together magazine even published an article offering instruction on how to successfully close its churches: The Time Has Come: Closing a Church Well in the Baptist Denomination).

It is the gospel of a crucified Christ that offers warmest welcome to all sinners.